Interview:
Brad (OtakuDante): "My first impressions of 'JAM Live Music Arcade' was that it looked like some sort of DJ music game, but then I noticed instrument controllers were involved. How would you classify this game in the genre?"
Matt Cannon (Producer, Zivix): JAM is a bit hard to classify as it’s really the first of its kind on the console market. The game has two main play modes which should be clarified and explained on their own terms. The JAM mode is closer to a live DJ mash up experience, while Arcade mode lives in the territory of traditional rhythm games.
Brad (OtakuDante): "My first impressions of 'JAM Live Music Arcade' was that it looked like some sort of DJ music game, but then I noticed instrument controllers were involved. How would you classify this game in the genre?"
Matt Cannon (Producer, Zivix): JAM is a bit hard to classify as it’s really the first of its kind on the console market. The game has two main play modes which should be clarified and explained on their own terms. The JAM mode is closer to a live DJ mash up experience, while Arcade mode lives in the territory of traditional rhythm games.
What we’ve done is taken apart
songs and broken them down into their most basic parts or, “instrument
stems”. Then we serve them up to the
user in a really easy to control interface where they can build the songs up
piece by piece in their own live performances.
Both modes function off of the same interface, with JAM mode giving you
complete creative control to create your own remixes, and arcade mode cuing you
along to play pre-arranged performances where you’ll compete for a high score. Playing
arcade mode will also give users a taste of what’s possible when you’re jamming
on your own in the open sandbox, and it’s this open mode that really
differentiates the Jam experience from anything people have seen before.
We could have designed the
experience with just the gamepad in mind, but for a live performance, the
guitar controller is really a nice control method. We’ve always loved that visceral feeling of
playing music with the guitar in your hands; and found that it transferred over
quite well for JAM. We’ve essentially
turned your 5 button guitar into a versatile live music sampler capable of
controlling over 75 tracks at once; it makes for a pretty cool experience.
Brad (OtakuDante): "As a gamer I realize that music tracks play a huge role in games like 'JAM Live Music Arcade'. How important do you think they are to this game?"
Matt: The music content is really the core of the experience, and your experience directly stems from tracks you’re playing with. While we do have scoring and challenges in the arcade mode, the reward for playing JAM is really more driven by your own creativity and what you can do with the music tracks we provide. Early on when we were experimenting with our format, we created the music ourselves and had a blast with it, but when we got that first big recognizable song, it took the experience to a whole new level. Being able to remix well-known stuff is a really powerful thing. At the same time, the JAM format can be fun with any type of music whether it’s new to you or not, and we made sure to provide a variety of artists and styles to fill the pallete.
Brad (OtakuDante): "Is 'JAM Live Music Arcade' going to have a large library of music tracks with its release?"
Matt: We’re happy to offer 32 tracks with the launch version of the title. Not bad for a digital release; especially when you consider you’re not just getting 32 linear songs. You’re getting up to 75 individual instrument stems per song, which you’re free to layer, mashup, and play back however you want. We did our best to include Jams from a variety of genres and I think they really show off the versatility of our format.
Brad (OtakuDante): "Do you plan on releasing DLC music tracks for 'JAM Live Music Arcade'?
Matt: Yeah, definitely. We have some lined up to release soon after the games launch and plan to continue a fairly regular release schedule throughout the lifetime of the game. We want to provide players with what they want to play with, so we’re looking forward to getting feedback on which styles are the most desired, and coming through with that content. On top of the 32 Jams that you’re getting with the initial download, what you’re also getting is a really versatile open sandbox. All sorts of music can fit into that and be played within it, so this is just the beginning.
Brad (OtakuDante): "I'm a gamer who loves the visual aspect of gaming. Are there going to be any cool visuals that go on while the music is playing? If so what can we expect?"
Matt: Yeah, we’ve got five visual, “venues” that you can choose from to accompany your Jam session. We went with a more abstract art style reminiscent of the visualizers you might see paired with your favorite music players. The visuals will react to your musical decisions and you’re almost painting a piece of art as you create the music. The venues range from subtle flowing shapes to a bit more in your face laser light show styles; and as with the music, there’s a pretty good variety to choose from. It was one of my main goals to really connect the music with the visuals; and while we’d love to take it even further in the future, I’m happy with where we ended up. The visuals really do tie the full experience together and help make it entertaining to watch someone else play while you’re waiting your turn.
Brad (OtakuDante): "I noticed in the video trailer of 'JAM Live Music Arcade' that it was given a 'T (TEEN)' rating for suggestive themes. I was curious as to why that is?"
Matt: Sorry to disappoint, there won’t be any zombie destruction served up via your guitar controller. The reason for this is simply a few lyrics that didn’t make the cut for an E rating. It was important for us to have freedom to include the songs we wanted and that caused the rating to go up. We still think the experience can be appropriate for all ages as long as parents use discretion when it comes to which songs are being played.
Brad (OtakuDante): "I'm a gamer who's limited to only using basic controllers. Is 'JAM Live Music Arcade' game that can be played as it's meant to be using a standard controller?"
Matt: The “guitar-less” out there will still have a good time playing with the music, and the gamepad controllers serve their purpose as music samplers too. Arcade mode might get a bit tougher as the ease of access isn’t quite as intuitive for the quick transitions; but it can still be done. As I mentioned earlier, there is something nice about having a guitar in your hands and being able to activate tracks on the fly with overindulgent fretting and strum downs, but with a gamepad you won’t be too handicapped.
Brad (OtakuDante): "Aside from the guitar controller being compatible to the game are the other band controllers also usable?'
Matt: We had the discussion early on and would have enjoyed creating specialized tracks for the drum pads and even the DJ setups, but it’s not something that made the final game. Since this is the introductory product in the series, we wanted it to be simple and intuitive; and designing for too many extra options would have compromised that. We’ll be looking into it if people ask for that sort of stuff in the future; it’s among a HUGE list of, “nice to haves” and extra features we’ve come up with along the way.
Brad (OtakuDante): " Reviewing this game will definitely be a first for me since I don't usually play music games. Do you think 'JAM Live Music Arcade' is the type of game anyone can pick up on, and play easily?"
Matt: If you don’t usually play music games, then you might actually find it easier to have an open mind about the new format and understand it for what it is. We do truly believe that anyone can pick this up and play, and that was confirmed through focus testing and even passing it around to friends who came by the office. I can also tell you that if you have played music games in the past, you’ll be able to make music with JAM. An anecdote that illustrates the power of this music creation method is as follows: We were showing it off early on and someone had brought their infant along who was crawling around listening to people play. We gave him the guitar and pressed buttons for him while we had him hit the strum paddle. Every time he did, he’d hear a new guitar riff or synth line and his eyes just lit up; he knew he had made that sound happen. If you’re interested in making music, there’s no reason to be intimidated by this experience. It really is that easy and accessible for people; and for those who want to take it further, there’s a lot of depth to the ways you can play with it.
Brad (OtakuDante): "I have to say I'm honestly a little nervous about reviewing 'JAM Live Music Arcade' since it's out of my comfort zone. I'm sure I can tackle the review just fine though. I want to thank you for requesting this review, and interview from me. It's not often I get such requests. Thanks!"
Matt: Thanks for the questions, Brad. No need to be worried; just plug it in, crank up the volume on the speakers, and have some fun. No one’s going to judge how you sound; but after a bit of playtime, you might just have something you’d like to show off!
Brad (OtakuDante): "As a gamer I realize that music tracks play a huge role in games like 'JAM Live Music Arcade'. How important do you think they are to this game?"
Matt: The music content is really the core of the experience, and your experience directly stems from tracks you’re playing with. While we do have scoring and challenges in the arcade mode, the reward for playing JAM is really more driven by your own creativity and what you can do with the music tracks we provide. Early on when we were experimenting with our format, we created the music ourselves and had a blast with it, but when we got that first big recognizable song, it took the experience to a whole new level. Being able to remix well-known stuff is a really powerful thing. At the same time, the JAM format can be fun with any type of music whether it’s new to you or not, and we made sure to provide a variety of artists and styles to fill the pallete.
Brad (OtakuDante): "Is 'JAM Live Music Arcade' going to have a large library of music tracks with its release?"
Matt: We’re happy to offer 32 tracks with the launch version of the title. Not bad for a digital release; especially when you consider you’re not just getting 32 linear songs. You’re getting up to 75 individual instrument stems per song, which you’re free to layer, mashup, and play back however you want. We did our best to include Jams from a variety of genres and I think they really show off the versatility of our format.
Brad (OtakuDante): "Do you plan on releasing DLC music tracks for 'JAM Live Music Arcade'?
Matt: Yeah, definitely. We have some lined up to release soon after the games launch and plan to continue a fairly regular release schedule throughout the lifetime of the game. We want to provide players with what they want to play with, so we’re looking forward to getting feedback on which styles are the most desired, and coming through with that content. On top of the 32 Jams that you’re getting with the initial download, what you’re also getting is a really versatile open sandbox. All sorts of music can fit into that and be played within it, so this is just the beginning.
Brad (OtakuDante): "I'm a gamer who loves the visual aspect of gaming. Are there going to be any cool visuals that go on while the music is playing? If so what can we expect?"
Matt: Yeah, we’ve got five visual, “venues” that you can choose from to accompany your Jam session. We went with a more abstract art style reminiscent of the visualizers you might see paired with your favorite music players. The visuals will react to your musical decisions and you’re almost painting a piece of art as you create the music. The venues range from subtle flowing shapes to a bit more in your face laser light show styles; and as with the music, there’s a pretty good variety to choose from. It was one of my main goals to really connect the music with the visuals; and while we’d love to take it even further in the future, I’m happy with where we ended up. The visuals really do tie the full experience together and help make it entertaining to watch someone else play while you’re waiting your turn.
Brad (OtakuDante): "I noticed in the video trailer of 'JAM Live Music Arcade' that it was given a 'T (TEEN)' rating for suggestive themes. I was curious as to why that is?"
Matt: Sorry to disappoint, there won’t be any zombie destruction served up via your guitar controller. The reason for this is simply a few lyrics that didn’t make the cut for an E rating. It was important for us to have freedom to include the songs we wanted and that caused the rating to go up. We still think the experience can be appropriate for all ages as long as parents use discretion when it comes to which songs are being played.
Brad (OtakuDante): "I'm a gamer who's limited to only using basic controllers. Is 'JAM Live Music Arcade' game that can be played as it's meant to be using a standard controller?"
Matt: The “guitar-less” out there will still have a good time playing with the music, and the gamepad controllers serve their purpose as music samplers too. Arcade mode might get a bit tougher as the ease of access isn’t quite as intuitive for the quick transitions; but it can still be done. As I mentioned earlier, there is something nice about having a guitar in your hands and being able to activate tracks on the fly with overindulgent fretting and strum downs, but with a gamepad you won’t be too handicapped.
Brad (OtakuDante): "Aside from the guitar controller being compatible to the game are the other band controllers also usable?'
Matt: We had the discussion early on and would have enjoyed creating specialized tracks for the drum pads and even the DJ setups, but it’s not something that made the final game. Since this is the introductory product in the series, we wanted it to be simple and intuitive; and designing for too many extra options would have compromised that. We’ll be looking into it if people ask for that sort of stuff in the future; it’s among a HUGE list of, “nice to haves” and extra features we’ve come up with along the way.
Brad (OtakuDante): " Reviewing this game will definitely be a first for me since I don't usually play music games. Do you think 'JAM Live Music Arcade' is the type of game anyone can pick up on, and play easily?"
Matt: If you don’t usually play music games, then you might actually find it easier to have an open mind about the new format and understand it for what it is. We do truly believe that anyone can pick this up and play, and that was confirmed through focus testing and even passing it around to friends who came by the office. I can also tell you that if you have played music games in the past, you’ll be able to make music with JAM. An anecdote that illustrates the power of this music creation method is as follows: We were showing it off early on and someone had brought their infant along who was crawling around listening to people play. We gave him the guitar and pressed buttons for him while we had him hit the strum paddle. Every time he did, he’d hear a new guitar riff or synth line and his eyes just lit up; he knew he had made that sound happen. If you’re interested in making music, there’s no reason to be intimidated by this experience. It really is that easy and accessible for people; and for those who want to take it further, there’s a lot of depth to the ways you can play with it.
Brad (OtakuDante): "I have to say I'm honestly a little nervous about reviewing 'JAM Live Music Arcade' since it's out of my comfort zone. I'm sure I can tackle the review just fine though. I want to thank you for requesting this review, and interview from me. It's not often I get such requests. Thanks!"
Matt: Thanks for the questions, Brad. No need to be worried; just plug it in, crank up the volume on the speakers, and have some fun. No one’s going to judge how you sound; but after a bit of playtime, you might just have something you’d like to show off!
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